Brussels, 12/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - EU agriculture and fisheries ministers will gather at 11.00am in Luxembourg on Thursday 14 April for a Council meeting to be chaired by Hungarian Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas. In fisheries, they will discuss the review of fishing effort management in western waters, while, in agriculture, there will be discussion of proposals on agriculture product quality schemes.
Over lunch, ministers will have a discussion on the role of innovation in revitalising the traditional way of life in rural areas. A first press conference, on fisheries issues, will take place before lunch around 1.00pm. A second press conference, on agricultural matters, will be held at the end of the meeting at about 6.00pm.
Fishing effort in western waters. Ministers will have an exchange of views on a Commission communication on the review of fishing effort management in western waters (see EUROPE of yesterday). The points to be debated are: - the main arguments for retention of this fishing effort regime; - the need to update and improve current arrangements especially with regard to limits for demersal stocks and the development of tools for limiting discards; - the timing for this update and the link of this review with the common fisheries policy (CFP) reform process.
Carbendazim. Ministers may adopt a directive amending Directive 91/414, on the marketing of plant protection products, to renew the inclusion of carbendazim as active substance. Carbendazim is a fungicide used on fruit trees (apricot, almond, plum, etc), vegetable crops (cabbages, strawberries, etc.), field crops (rape, sunflower, wheat, barley, etc) and on vines. It is controversial because of its intrinsic toxicological properties (mutagenicity and toxicity to reproduction). Therefore, the initial inclusion was highly restrictive and limited in time (3 years instead of the usual 10). Once the new pesticides regulation, 1107/2009, comes into force, substances of these types will no longer be able to be authorised.
The request for renewal of this substance was based on the current legislation. The data on carbendazim have been initially assessed by a rapporteur member state (Germany), and thereafter by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Both came to the conclusion that carbendazim may be expected to satisfy the requirements laid down in Directive 91/414, provided that adequate risk mitigation measures are applied. For this reason, inclusion of the substance was proposed, with specific conditions, in particular: - limitation of use for certain crops (fungicide on cereals, rape seed, sugar and fodder beet and maize); - restrictions on application rates to minimise the impact on the environment and exposure; - limitation of the validity of authorisations (3 and a half years instead of the usual 10 years); - monitoring of data on this substance in the public domain which, in the case of negative findings, may lead to reconsideration of its inclusion.
At its meeting on 23 November 2010, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health was unable to achieve the qualified majority necessary to deliver an opinion for or against the renewal of inclusion for carbendazim. In the absence of an opinion, it is up to the Council to act on the Commission proposal within a three month period. If a qualified majority for or against renewing the inclusion of carbendazim is not found in the Council, the proposal then has to go back to the Commission which will have to decide on inclusion.
“Quality package”. Ministers will exchange views on a proposal for a regulation on agricultural product quality schemes. The exchange of views will be structured around the following issues: - development of direct sales and production for local markets and the introduction of rules for products of mountain farming. In December 2010, the Council was briefed by the Commission on a “quality package”.
Other business. A group of countries will present a statement on the role of fresh water aquaculture and inland fisheries within the reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP). Other points of business to be dealt with are: the state of play in negotiations between the EU and Mercosur on trade liberalisation following the last round of talks (request by Ireland), and price volatility and its impact on agriculture (request by Belgium). (L.C./transl.rt)